Livermore, California – ANNIKA Vineyards, a joint venture between Hall of Fame golfer Annika Sorenstam and family owned Wente Vineyards, introduced its newest entry, a 2008 Chardonnay, which will be available for purchase through its Web site in the spring of 2010. With the addition of this vintage, the ANNIKA Vineyards portfolio is comprised of two ultra-premium, boutique wines.
“This full-bodied Chardonnay has a great balance with apricot, peach, and tangerine interlaced throughout that lead to graham, vanilla, and ground spice flavors on the finish,” says Winemaker Karl Wente. “With a perfectly weighted mouth feel, balanced by a refreshing acidity to cleanse the palate, this wine is both complex and crisp. The Chardonnay was barrel fermented in a combination of French, American, Eastern European, and neutral oak and was aged for 10 months.”
Sorenstam, working closely with Winemaker Karl Wente, selected Chardonnay that comes from two vineyards in the Livermore Valley that harvest Clone 4 Chardonnay (Wente Clone) and the Old Wente Clone, which is a predecessor to the Wente clone. These vineyards were selected for the ANNIKA Chardonnay solely for their exceptional fruit and production consistency.
“I really enjoy the wine making experience and learning from Karl. During the final blending process we did in Lake Tahoe, we tasted through a number of components and this is the one I could picture myself enjoying with family, friends, and business associates,” she says.
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